North Carolina’s first trip to Duke next season is already headed for the biggest stage.
ABC will carry the UNC-Duke game on Saturday, Feb. 13, at 5:30 p.m. from Cameron Indoor Stadium, giving the rivalry a national network slot the day before ABC also airs the Super Bowl from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. It will be Coach Michael Malone’s first crack at the matchup.
The Tar Heels and Blue Devils split their two meetings last season, with each team protecting its home floor.
The UNC-Duke game is one of four men’s matchups ABC has lined up next season, and all four involve teams from the ACC, Big 12 or SEC and 17 teams in ESPN’s Way-Too-Early Top 25. The slate starts with Louisville at Kentucky at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec.
- Texas Tech visits Kansas at noon on Saturday, Feb. 6, and Florida plays at Arkansas at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb.
ABC’s college basketball schedule also includes a heavy dose of women’s games, starting with No. 5 USC against No.
1 South Carolina on Sunday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. The network’s women’s lineup also features No.
22 Oklahoma State at No. 1 South Carolina on Sunday, Dec. 6 at 4 p.m.; No.
2 UConn vs. No.
10 LSU on Sunday, Dec. 20 at 1 p.m.; No. 11 Vanderbilt at No.
10 LSU on Sunday, Jan. 3 at 1 p.m.; No. 1 South Carolina at No.
8 Texas on Sunday, Jan. 3 at 3 p.m.; No. 3 Duke at No.
16 Notre Dame on Sunday, Jan. 10 at noon; No. 8 Texas at No.
17 Kentucky on Sunday, Jan. 10 at 2 p.m.; No. 11 Vanderbilt at No.
8 Texas on Sunday, Jan. 17 at 1 p.m.; No. 10 LSU at No.
1 South Carolina on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m.
UNC’s own schedule next season includes a road trip to Cameron on Feb. 13 and a rematch with Duke at home on March 6. The Tar Heels will also face No.
13 Arkansas in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2, play in the Dick Vitale Invitational against West Virginia in Charlotte on Friday, Nov. 27 at 7 p.m., meet Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic on Saturday, Dec. 19 at 2:30 p.m. in New York, and take on No. 5 Illinois in the Nashville Hoops Showdown on Saturday, Jan. 30 in Nashville.
The rest of the UNC schedule includes exhibitions against USC in Greensboro on Friday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m., Indiana in Indianapolis on Sunday, Oct. 18 at 5 p.m., and Charlotte on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m. Regular-season games begin Nov. 2 against Western Carolina, followed by Wofford, Wyoming, Georgia, Marshall and Monmouth before the West Virginia game.
December also brings Butler, a trip to Georgetown, N.C. State in the Tobacco Road Classic in Greensboro, The Citadel and California.
January features games at Boston College, at Louisville, against N.C. State, at Florida State, against Stanford, against No.
17 Virginia, at Syracuse and against SMU before the Nashville matchup with Illinois. February includes at Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Louisville, at No.
4 Duke, at Wake Forest, No. 24 Miami and at Virginia Tech, with the season ending at Pittsburgh and home against No.
4 Duke on March 6.
UNC’s roster lists freshmen Maximo Adams, Malloy Smith, Sayon Keita and Kevin Thomas; sophomores Cade Bennerman, Neo Avdalas, Isaiah Denis and Matt Able; juniors Alex Samodurov and Jarin Stevenson; seniors Terrence Brown, Jaydon Young and others; and graduates Angelo Brizzi and Cameron Fens. Walk-ons John Holbrook and Evan Smith are also listed. Holbrook is designated as a student-athlete and does not count against UNC’s 15-player limit.
The staff under Malone includes associate head coach Chuck Martin and assistants Bryan Tibaldi, Sean May, Jorge Sanz, Pat Sullivan and Brandon Robinson, along with director of player development Deon Thompson. Former UNC players listed at other schools include Luka Bogavac at Oklahoma State, James Brown at Howard, Derek Dixon at Arizona, Kyan Evans at Minnesota, Zayden High at South Florida, Jonathan Powell at Pittsburgh and Ivan Matlekovic at Pacific.
In Other News...
Belichick Makes Clear What Matters Now For UNC Football
Bill Belichick said the North Carolina football programs focus right now is less about the noise around it and more about getting the operation where it needs to be. With the Tar Heels navigating investigations and personnel changes, he framed the moment as one centered on doing things the right way and addressing the areas flagged by outside counsel.
Belichick also made clear how limited his role has been in the process, saying he was only involved in answering some questions while the legal details were handled by lawyers. For North Carolina, the message was less about the headlines themselves than the work still ahead, and what the program chooses to do next in response to them. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Is Giving Tar Heel Legends A Permanent Place In Kenan
Kenan Stadium is about to get a little more reflective, with North Carolina set to unveil two permanent Hall of Fame displays during the game against Notre Dame. The new honors will recognize 12 Tar Heel legends who made their mark in the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, giving UNC a more permanent way to showcase some of the biggest names in program history.
The College Football Hall of Fame display will go in the northeast corner of the stadium, while the Pro Football Hall of Famers will be featured in the southeast corner. UNC has also invited the Hall of Famers and their families for a weekend celebration that will include on-field recognition and a formal dedication during the game, turning what is already a marquee matchup into a chance to connect the current program with the standard set by its greats. [Read more 🡒]
Former Tar Heels Reunite On A Sideline UNC Fans Will Want To Follow
A familiar Carolina connection is making its way back onto a sideline worth watching. King Rice, now the head coach at Monmouth, has hired Shammond Williams as an assistant coach for the 2026-27 season and beyond, bringing together two former Tar Heels whose paths have now crossed again in the coaching ranks.
Williams arrives with a long rsum that should make him an intriguing addition anywhere, including more than 20 years of professional playing experience and 13 years in college coaching. His recent stops include Denver and Old Dominion, and Rice has made no secret of his excitement about adding a former teammate to the staff, a reunion UNC fans will naturally keep an eye on even from a distance. [Read more 🡒]